Tampon applicator



Nov. 29, 1949 H. M. RUTH 2,489,502

TAMPON APPLICATOR Filed July 18, 1946 INVENTOR #oaf/3rd 772 Fut/L WATTORNEY -oi an inner tube and Patented Nov. 29, 1949 TAMPON` APPLICATORvHoward M. Ruth, Appleton, Wis., assignor to International CellucottonProducts Company, a

corporation of Delawarev Application July 18, 1946, Serial No. 684,569

vThis invention relates to a tampon applicator, and it has referenceespecially to applicators for catamenial tampons although notnecessarily conned thereto. y

A common form of tampon applicator consists an outer tube, the outertube being of such internal size and length as to house and irictionallyretain a tampon in one end portion thereof, and the inner tube being ofsuch length that one end portion thereof may initially be seated withinan end portion of the outer tube not occupied by-the tampon while aremaining portion of the inner tube projects from said outer tub-e. Theexternal size of said inner tube is usually designed to iit frictionallyWithin the outer tube so that when the parts are initially assembledthey will be irictionally held in as,- sembled relation. The inner tubewhich may be called an ejector, may be moved longitudinally of the outeror applicator tube so as to eject the tampon from the applicator tube.

The conventional construction referred to is reasonably satisfactoryprovided that the two tubes have the necessary frictionally interiittingrelationship to hold them in sembled relationship independently of anywrapping lwhich may be employed in the packaging of the tampons Vandapplicators. Considerable diiculty, however, has been experienced inmaintaining this relationship. Expansion and contraction of the tubesincident to varying weather conditions, initial 'inaccuracies in thesizes of the tubes, material characteristics, and perhaps other factorsare probably responsible for the indicated diiliculty in producing andmaintaining the required frictional interattachment of the parts.

The main object of the present invention is to provide in a tamponapplicator structure of the character indicated means whereby therequired frictional interattacnment may be easily attained withoutadversely eiiecting the relative slidability of one of the parts of theapplicator longitudinally of the other for tampon ejection purposes.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the necessity orrequirement for accurate size relationships of theA outer and innertubes of a tampon applicator such as referred to, and, in general, it isthe object of the invention to provide an improved tampon applicator.

Other objects and advantages of the invention 1 will be understood byreference to the following specification and accompanying drawingswherein there is illustrated a tampon applicator embodying a selectedform of the invention.

In the drawing:

the described as- 1 Claim. (Cl. 12S-270) Fig. l is a perspective,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2' of Fig. 1,

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sections on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 2,respectively, and

Fig. 5 is a section corresponding to a yportion of Fig. 2 but on anenlarged scale and showing an exaggeration of the relationship of theparts.

The tampon applicator comprises an outer tube I and an inner tube 2.These tubes are usually made of paperboard of lsuflicient thickness toprovide a desirable amount of rigidity especially lengthwise of thetubes; or of a good grade of paper laminated to the desired thicknessand rigidity, Plastic, fibrous material other than paper, and othersuitable materials may also be used. In the cross-sectionalillustration, Fig. 2, the thickness of the tubes is somewhat exaggeratedfor illustrative purposes.

As best shown in Fig. 2, a tampon 3 of any suitable form is initiallyseated in the front end portion ll of the outer tube l; and it is shownin this instance as being provided with a drawstring element 5 whichextends rearwardly from the tampon.

The outer tube is of substantially cylindrical form, and the inner tube2 is of corresponding transverse form and of such external diameter asto fit freely within the inside of the outer tube. The fit of the innertube inthe outertube is not critical; it may be such that there is lightcontact between the adjacent walls of the tubes or the outer tube may beso much lar-ger than the inner tube that a small clearance would existbetween said walls (as represented in Fig. 5). A front end portion 6 ofthe inner tube is initially inserted into the rear portion 1 of theouter tube,

the drawstring 5 of the tampon being threaded through the inner tube 2as shown. The forward extremity of the inner tube may be uted or crimpedlongitudinally as indicated at 8 if desired so as to widen the area ofengagement between the front end of the ejector and the rear end of thetampon, thereby to avoid any possible wedglng of the ejector between thesurface of the tampon and the inside of the tube l.

The tube 2 may be moved longitudinally of the tube l to eject thetampon. To attain the desired frictional interattachment of the tubes soas to maintain the same in their described assembled relationship whileat the Sametime providing for the required movability of the inner tuberelative to the outer tube for tampon ejection purpose, the followingdescribed structure is provide -or vless .flattened orv protuberances`may be` Any ofxthese distortions,'forV any `combination The outer tubeI is provided with one or more internal surface protuberances such asrepresented at 9, four such protuberances being shown in this instance.These protuberances 9 may be formed by inwardly indenting the outertube, for example by means of pin pricks which produce slight puncturesl0 through the tube. Pricking of the tube is,A ofA course, effectedVfrornthe outside thereof vtowards the inside thereof and withoutremoving any material. The material displaced in forming a puncture l0is, at least partially, displaced into the .said protuberancel` 9. Theprotuberances so formed may be of such size that even though theexternal diameter offthe ejector tube 2 is slightly lessthanthe-internaldiameter of the outer tube l, the inner ends of saidprotuberances will bear .frictionally-on the external surface of thetube 2 sufhciently to frictionally hold the tubes in the assembledrelationship shown in Fig. 2` Such frictional holding of the tubes inassembled relation'isrnot, however, so strongzas to preventmanuahmovement of the inner tube into the outer tube for tampon ejec-.tion purposes.

In the event-that the tubes Yfurnished forlprorducing the'. structureare.initially ol suchfxsnug ft'as to 4.leave .no room' between themforfsaid protuberances' 9; .the protuberances will bef more returnedinto the normal thickness of the outer tube, or that the portion of `theouter tubev whichfbearsl the 4protuberances Lwillvbe forced outwardlyslightly, or that the-portion of ,therinner tube which is engaged.byizthe :offset Vinwardly slightly.

thereof, will notfbe` too objectionable since they do not vprevent:manipulation of thev applicator in the manner already explained.

The friction producing enlargements may be formed'by indenting vthetubewithout penetrat fing allthezway throughthe tube, or byapplyingsmall drops `ci lwax or resinto the vouter `surface .of the inner tube,`or by raising barb-like :portions-of the-tubeA from-said outer surface,or

in other Ways. Also, any of these friction pro- -iducing enlargementsVVmay be fcrmedpn the vinside-of the outer tube if preferred.

To facilitateV holding of theapplicator' for iniftialinsertion into-the'vagina, and to also facil- 'itate holding of the outertube'againstmovement when the-'ejector 'is moved-'forwardly rin theouter tubeto ejectthe tampon, the outer tube `may be provided with apluralityI of"'circum *Ierentially spaced external protuberances"'suc'hiin'the vingerswithout squeezing andmore or less collapsing theapplicator to such'an extent as to make it diicult to move the ejectortube into the outer tube for tampon ejection purposes.

The provision of the external gripping means is especially desirable incombination with the 1 above describedfejector tube grippingprotuberances sinceV the latter may, in some instances,

necessitate a somewhat stronger grip on the outer tube while the tamponis being ejected.

Various changes may be made in the described structure without departingfrom the invention.

I claim: Atampon applicator comprising a vpair of `fibre tubes, one *ofsaid-VA tubes having al :normal exter- `nal :transverse sizeapproximating -theinormal ainternal transverse size of the otherl so`as--tobe -nsertable .into andA A'movable .longitudinally of vsaidother.tube, thefouter ltube having a portion of'its normal thickness Yoffsetinwardlyinto frictional engagement with the adjacentouter surface of theinnertube tothereby frictionally holdv said :tubes in assembled'relationship while vpermitting the aforesaid longitudinal movement `ofone of said tubes relative' .totheothen said outerftube also havingadjacent fthe end thereof into which 'saidfinner tube enters; aplurality of small, circumierentially spaced-portions of `its `-normalthickness offsetroutwa-rdly` :to'fprovide `a plurality of.externalsurface protuberances for acilitatingholding of .fsaid Voutertube.

HOWARD;- M. RUTH.

REFERENGESUCITED y The followingreferences are'of record' 'in `the v"lleof this *pat-ent:

Number N ame Date 487,434 Steen Dec. 6, 1892 V1,350,981 Wilkens I Aug.24, 1920 2,222,088 Petersen "`Nov.` 19,1940 2,413,480 Winter Dec. 31,1946 FOREIGN PATENTS `Number Country vDate 186,674 "Switzerland Jan. 2,1937

